Caponizing stretcher



July 7, 1931. M. c. MERRJFIELD CAPONIZING STRETCHER Filed Jan. 27,1930

2 Sheets-Sheet l l lulllllll ilIII-IIIIIIIIIEzE l.

gwuentoz MA X WELL 6 MfFfi/HEZD July 7, i931. M. c. MERIFIELb 1,812,892

CAPONI ZING STRETCHER Filed Jan. 27, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MAXWELL C MEFF/F/ELD Patented July 7, 1931 PATE T OFFICE V MA XWELL' M ERRIFIELD, F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON CAPONIZING STRETCHER Applicatidn filed .1Tanuary 27, 193 0 j 85min), 423,856.

This invention appertains to a novel device for correctly holding a chicken during the caponi'zing operation and one of the primary objects of my invention is to provide such a device having novel meansfor clamping the legs of the chicken and novel means for engaging and holding the wings of the chicken with means whereby the leg engaging clamp and. the wing engaging clampcan be 'moved relative to oneanother 'so'that the chicken can stretched andproperly held in order to be successfullycaponized.

Afurther object of my invention is the provision ofnovel releasable means for holding the leg clamp andthewing engaging member in adjusted position relative to one another, said means permitting the expedious adjustment of the clamp and member when desired.

f A still further obj ectof my invention is to provide. an Y improved chicken holder or stretcher of the above character, which will be durable and efficient in use, one that will 1 be simple and easy to'manufacture, and one which can befplacedupon the'market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formationof parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings Figure 1 is a-side elevation of my improved chicken holding or stretching device.

Figure2 is a topplan view of the same.

Figure 3 is afragmentarybottom plan view of my improved device illustrating the looking means carried by the wing engaging mem-' ber.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on'the line H of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows illustrating a legengaging clamp. I f V Figure 5 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 55 of Figure 1 lookingin the direction of the arrows showing the stop for the sliding saddle of the wing engaging member.- j Figure 6 is'a detail section through the device taken on the line 6-"6 of Figure 1 illustrating [the sliding saddle and the locking means therefor;

Figure Tie a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6 illustfrating thesliding saddle and the look there- Or- 7 Figure 8 is a sideelevation of a slightly modified form of my improved chicken holder or'stretching device. v

Figure'9 is a top plan view of the same, a supporting post for the leg clamp and the wing engaging member being shown in sectlon Figure 10 is ajdetail fragmentary perspective view illustrating the'novel lock for the modifiedform of the device.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A generally indicates my improved chicken holder or stretcher and the same comprises an elongated base rod which may be in the nature of asection of pipe or hollow tube as shown. One end of the base rod 15 supports the leg clamp 16 which includes a supporting post 17 having its lower end reduced and threaded and extended into the base rod through a suitable opening formed therein. This reduced threaded end, which is indicatedv by the reference -character 18, may have threaded thereon a holding nut 19, whereby the post is rigidly held in position. The upper end of the post carries the leg clamp per se, which may be in the nature of a resilient wire embodyinga pair of holding loops 20 and 21, the side legsof which are bowed inwardly as at 22 to provide the restricted neck entrances 23 and'then flared outwardly as at 24 so as to guide the legs of the chicken through said neck entrances 23 and into the holding loops 20 and 21. The terminals of the side legs can be-provided with suitable heads 25 so as to prevent the forming of points which might injure the operator or chicken. The inner legs 26 of the holding loops are extending inwardly and secured to the extreme upper ends of the'posts as shown.

Slidably mounted on the base bar 15 is the saddle block 27 which carries the post any selectedtooth oftherackbar 32,.' Aleaf are placement.

holding the chicken so that the desired 'operr means is provided for locking the saddle 28, at itsupperend for the wing clamp 29,

the wing clamp 29 embodies a' pair of diverg ing resilient wires 30, which have the inner end at the converging portion of the wire secured in any desired manner to the upper end of the post 28. The outer diverging ends of the wires 3Q are provided with-suitable ball heads31 so" as to prevent the iforming of sharp 'pen'etratingpoints;

By sliding the saddle 27 on the main bar'15 the Wi g larhp o engag ng memberZQ rah: be moved to-or away from the leg clamp for a purpose, which will be later described and any preferred adjusted position onthebase a-rhis means, as shown, emb ie a longitudinally extending rackbar 32-secured o or fo m d on the jlowe i he fft ea arn th p es 'in t ee' ha e s own the m kibar 2 settt dtothe bts'e'bar 15 by means f fastening elements 33',iwhich"e)itend t-hroggh d we 3tf0rm d on th rack bariaznd 'hfi i he bas od 15. r

of the saddle 271s slot-ted j The lower'fa'ce' test 3 for rec i ing h a 'kh rj B2. d

the eng g ment of the, detae ofi' iherack r h-the tells the thttorm snide for the saddle and prevent turning 'moveheht. of the taddle h he base re ri'v erfi i ependsfi om the saddle on eeh i side oftlie' slot 35jaii d 'thesej ears'carry a pivot P ll 37 en whiehisr'o kahly"m n ed t hold g ;;38'- The 10 238 i provided at e 'end. W he mahiph eting h ndle 39,1and' .ht t Opp s te nd a tooth $0 o engaging p n h rrevided r herm li vbeltin the tooth40 incengagement with the rack bar asvshown in Figure 7 of the drawings 7 Ttis to be'alsonoted "at this point, that theupper face of the saddle 27' is provided with a boss 42 into which isthrefaded the lower 'end'of the post 28 A look nut 43 can be threaded on the post into engagement with the boss for holding the post against dis i u o my p v ee h z h dev c th ess efth ken a r e ed W hin'th leep 0. nd 2 v nward of the lowe les'i ts as shown in Figure lot the drawings. The

' hodvofthe chicken is now laid on one tide .Qr he other f the r t 28 and th h e P a ed Within th W ng mp 2 The ddle 27Q e new, lid 1 he ba e e 1 w y from the leg" clamp for effectively stretching and ation' can be] successfully made, the wing Clamp 2 ng he win s th th ew fromj the body of the chicken. The chicken t b relet ed y ep e s n e .ht of the dog'3'8 and slidingthe saddle 27 toward the leg damp,

In Order to priest: he mev m fi of-the,

Sadd 2 fre m efi ft b ser .15 p

i the w the he rod 15 from the end carrying the leg clamp. This stop 45 is in the nature of a plug 46 which is inserted within the base rod 15 and the outer end of this plug 46 is provided with the stop disc or head 47. A fastening bolt or .the like 48 is extended through the plug 46 and the base rod 15. Likewise'the adjacent fastening screw 33 for the rack bar eglrtends into the said plug. From the foregoing description, it can be eeenthat l have provided .a' e de iee' o holding a chicken while being caponized which-embodies a novel leg clamp and a novel wing engaging member with means whereby the leg- -clamp and wing member eth he adj te e a i 2 6 an h to efiectively hold and stretchthe hiken;

' The devi te e m d fied with t i limits" and in Figures 8 and 9, I have he h-h m i d e m f mt e ie hiede O Wi a d h h i he efe i epe j v a d li h r Che hire-e1 1- Thi e m O my in v tieh s g neral y. n cated by the. refer:

e ite c ar e 1 hdl ee prises t ei 1 lehs tedihe i j th ezth h et ee 6-0 me ber 5Qv carries at its el e? end hh le clam indic'ated'b "t e'referenee eha act rti h h eefth eem he etrh t ehes t l e am .16 eheWh hth fir t term t my ij vee t enhhd re' t 9f the e la p? e r to theouter 'iend joif saidfmemberf The tt r-thee?" he em e 'hh t' e e Wins clamp, indicated by thereference chara t r '61; which is of the same construction 1 as w ns elethr 29 it h rst tethe- Therest 62 hi h w ng. e mp s igi ly h d n any de' red Way t the enter end o the meme member 50-cembodies a pair of Sp ed perel e i lehsit d e y t n i wire or like rQdS 52 have terminals thereof coiled to provide upstanding guide eyes tee-e it ehe ra I herer evii dit s mpl f m Qf block fer diteth-hly l cking h e memhe s-t s he c and the same embodies a compression loop Q h e e eive th red 152 at. t mem er Qne end of the loopZO has 'pivot ally connectedth e h -eher a m Qt h epe' e geve 71 wh h i rh kah y mehihted. a etr 2 nd adjacent to' the loop 7 0 on suitable pivot ears Z3 ee dhy ne t th eyeefi f h m bh Thh Y flis EtQfid-dfiifi an elon gated manipulating handle 74 which normally extends along the member 60. After the members have been adjusted relative to one another, the lever is pressed inwardly by the hand of the operator which slightly compresses the loop 7 O and brings the same into intimate contact with one rod 52 of the member 50 which binds the rod in its guide eye thereby preventing accidental sliding movement of the members. It is obvious that the hand of the operator can grasp the members 50 and and extend around and over the operating handle 74.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. In a caponizing stretcher a wing holder comprising a supporting post and a pair of resilient wire members secured at their in nerjends to the post and flaring outwardly therefrom.

2. In a caponizing stretcher, a leg clamp and a wing clamp, means adjustably holding the clamps in any preferred adjusted po sition relative to one another, the leg clamp embodying a pair of resilient leg receiving loops, and said wing clamp embodying a pair of resilient wires diverging outwardly one from the other.

3. A caponizing stretcher comprising an elongated base rod, a leg clamp rigidly connected to one end of the base rod including a supporting post and leg receiving loops, a saddle longitudinally slidable on the base rod, a post rigidly connected with the saddle, a wing clamp comprising a pair of resilient diverging wires, 21 rack bar carried by one face of the base rod, the saddle being slotted to receive said rack bar, aspring pressed dog pivotally carried by the saddle for engaging a selected tooth of the rack bar, and a stop carried by the end of the base rod which is remote from the leg clamp.

4. A caponizing stretcher comprising a pair of companion members each including spaced parallel rods, guide means formed on the inner ends of said rods and receiving the adjoining rods of the companion members, leg and wing clamping means carried by said members, a locking lever pivotally mounted upon one of said members, a link straddling the bars of the adjoining member and engaging said locking lever whereby the rods of one member will be brought into binding engagement with the guiding means of the adjoining member for locking the companion members in relative adjusted relation.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature.

MAXWVELL G. MERRIFIELD. 

